water in engine compartment

[alex]

Hi folks,

how normal is to have some water inside the engine compartment constantly?? Pumping out and after a couple of days the same almost quantity is there again. (abt 1-2 liters pump out/ 2 liters remain).

I use the bildge to pump out (ofcourse some quantity remains), but is this common in any case??

thks
alex

[ParkRode360]

It depends -- if it hasn't been raining (a good source of water in the bilge), then I'd think you might have some slight leaking.  I'd check the caulk around any bolt, hoses, or control cables that go through your transom, the caulk can fail and allow slight water penetration.  If you have seacocks, check the hoses there and the baskets for your sea strainers, again, checking for weeping - slight leakage.  When you do your sterndrive maintenance (during haulout), you can check your bellows, etc. as well.

[hanzelvh]

Check also rubrail and clamps etc.
When slow down after planing speed you will have a "wave" at your tale which can enter the engine compartment through all possible small holes.
With my boat we had it also after rain through the pull up clamps at the swimming platform (intergrated)

[Babyboomer]

Covered or open slip?

[alex]

the wave when slowning down from plane looks like a source of the water. Maybe this is the case!!...Just to be more sure. i will fix more tight all screws in conection to hoses-valves.

Thks for your replies guys, appreciate your help any time requested, that is why this forum is one more ""Ëngine'" for our Rinkers...


thks
alex

[osead]

I have the dreaded Volvo XDP drive and that's how my problems started.  It made the aft  bilge pump run constantly and burned it out due to a leaky bellows.  Hope you have a different problem since the total repair came to about $3K for the pump and drive.

[phillyg]

A couple of thoughts.  Just had a surveyor tell me I might have a slight leak in one bellows which would obviously be the cause of some amt of water in my bilge all the time; it never dries out completely so I know water is coming in somewhere.  However, my mechanic has seen rainwater on top of engine components because my canvas was leaking badly, and the joint between the two hatches seems to allow some amt of water to enter from above.  We've had a fair amt of rain so maybe that's what I'm seeing.  Boat is coming out of water this week so we'll see if it's the bellows, which is my greatest concern.